While the people are banned from the more than 400 shuttered national parks, big oil and gas companies will have no trouble getting in and will continue operations as usual in 12 of the otherwise closed national parks.

Tthe floods have left 10 dead and 200 still unaccounted for, destroyed at least 15,000 homes across 17 counties, damaged at least 11 oil and gas locations, and now the resultant leaks and spills threaten to become a brand new disaster.

The flooding caused the evacuation of 11,750 people; some of those evacuees are reportedly returning home now, only to find their houses destroyed, and in some instances, discovering foul polluted water.